Hollywood Park Handle, Field Size Show Gains

Betfair Hollywood Park showed appreciable gains in all sources handle and field size during the 2012 autumn meet.

Average daily handle was up 13.8% during the live meet that concluded Dec. 15. It was followed by seven days of simulcasts, which were included in the wagering totals. The average per day for all sources was $9.15 million compared to $8.42 million a year ago, the track reported.

The recent fall stand could be the last for Hollywood Park. The Inglewood, Calif. track is expected to announce at the Jan. 17 California Horse Racing Board meeting whether it will honor its dates for the 2013 autumn meet or proceed with a pending development project. The track has already committed to running next year's spring/summer meet.

Helping spur the increase at the recent meet was a massive boost in advance deposit wagering. The total daily average ADW handle, $2,348,761, was up 27.6% over 2011, with $1,414,607 of that ADW total generated in Southern California. ADW provider TVG was responsible for facilitating 63% of the Southern California ADW handle, according to Hollywood Park.

The average daily Southern California attendance rose 3.1%, improving from 9,338 in 2011 to 9,630 in 2012. The attendance figure includes regional satellite wagering facilities. The average daily on-track handle jumped from $792,464 during the 2011 autumn meet to $845,239 in 2012, an increase of 6.7%.

Field size rose for a third consecutive year, increasing to 8.19 starters per race in 2012 from 7.89 in 2011 and 7.33 two years ago. The meet finished with a flourish, attracting 228 entrants for 21 races over the final two days.

"We're very pleased with the increases in handle and field size,'' said track president Jack Liebau in a statement. "The numbers are a reflection of how the business has changed throughout the country with the sizable growth in advance deposit wagering.''

The 2013 spring/summer meet at Hollywood Park, which will celebrate the track's 75th anniversary, begins April 25 and will continue through July 14.